Is Wednesday a "must win" game in Indy?

ASK IRA:

March 25, 2014|By Ira Winderman, SunSentinel.com

A: Hamilton is all about the future. By signing him for the balance of the season, the Heat know they can have him in their summer program. Remember, there should be plenty opportunities for youth next season, with Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis and James Jones among those at the ends of their contracts. Hamilton and 2013 second-round pick James Ennis should get first crack at roster spots, along with the Heat's first-round pick, with Riley already out scouting college tournaments. As for point guard, the Heat already have Toney Douglas. He probably is as good as anything they could get at this point (although I remain intrigued by Roddy Beaubois, especially if they could get him to commit to a team option for next season, provided he finally is healthy). But you're right, Friday was yet another uneven performance by the Mario Chalmers/Norris Cole tandem.

March 14, 2014

(Note: The mailbag was preposterous Thursday. If you didn't know better, you would have thought the Heat were . . . the Kings [sorry, Sacramento]. If nothing else, it was an early reminder of what life will be like if the Heat were to lose a game in the playoffs. That is all. We now rejoin the dialing venting, already in progress . . . )

Q: The Heat are going as far as LeBron James takes them. He keeps playing passive. The Heat won't even make it to the conference finals. LeBron is the problem. -- Bobby.

A: And to think, they bypassed the opportunity to deal him for Ramon Sessions at the trade deadline. Oh well, guess they'll have to find a way around LeBron's brief lapse into ordinary stardom. The reality is it has been three weeks since LeBron broke his nose, which just might account for less of an attacking style. Or it could be that he has pushed through the schedule while his co-star has taken extended breaks. LeBron is never the problem; sometimes he's just not as much of the solution. The problem lately has been quality defensive plays from Jimmy Butler and Shaun Livingston. Sometimes the other guys are pretty good, too.

A: Michael's job during those initial stints is to inspire confidence for another opportunity when the game is on the line in the second half. That was not the case in Beasley's initial stint Wednesday. Yes, there is a shorter rope for Michael than others in the rotation. But sometimes it's not about being fair (just ask Udonis Haslem).

Q: Ira, the real Heat fans are not panicking. We're just all waiting for the playoffs to start, just like they are. -- Eric.

A: And there certainly is something to be said about perspective (thank you). But the flick-the-switch mentality can be dangerous. I do think the recent struggles have highlighted some areas of concerns, including whether there is championship depth in place.

March 13, 2014

Q: Erik Spoelstra always talk about positive aspects of the game even when the team plays poorly. Sometimes a coach needs to call out his team when they are underperforming. -- Joel.

A: To a degree, the Heat over these past four seasons have played with an arrogance that it's about what they do and not necessarily what the opponent does to them. Fine. That works when the Heat are working. But there also have been times in recent games where the Heat have been operating with a sense of entitlement, that they don't necessarily need to outwork the opposition. And you know what's happening? The Heat are getting outworked. There was little desperation Wednesday, which is a bit surprising because of how they felt before ending their three-game losing streak Monday against the Wizards. And the cloaked sniping in the postgame locker room, from LeBron James saying he was reduced to facilitator to Chris Bosh talking about the team taking too many contested shots to Dwyane Wade saying the Heat have to close better, it certainly sounds like desperation is at hand.

Q: After losing four consecutive times to the Nets this year going in (including two in the preseason) wouldn't the Heat want to come out super-motivated and beat the Nets off the court? Maybe it is the rope-a-dope strategy used by Muhammad Ali. The Heat are trying to lull the Nets into a false sense of confidence should they meet in the playoffs! -- Stuart.

A: No, what the Nets have shown, just as Chicago, and, to a lesser degree, the Wizards did was make it clear that the second round of the playoffs is when the fight might start, that there won't be a cakewalk to the conference finals.

Q: Either the Heat dig deep and start finding passion or they find someone who can help. We are running out of time. -- Chet.